92 year old local fighter pilot receives the Croix de Guerre
This gentlemen lives in Blountstown, a small town located just east of Panama City where my aircraft is based. This is quite a story. "The bravery and actions of Yon and his fellow pilots have been chronicled in the book Spitfires and Yellow Tail Mustangs, the 52nd Fighter Group in World War II, written in 2005 by Tom Ivie and Paul Ludwig. "
Steve
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20111105/NEWS01/111050317/France-honors-WWII-pilot-from-Blountstown?odyssey=nav|head
http://www.thecountyrecord.net/arch...ell-Yon-to-receive-a-French-Combat-Medal.html
Sorry, that first link does not always work properly, one more detailed account of the action was that he had to drop his external fuel and chase the German aircraft all the way to Italy to shoot it down exposing himself to intense German AA fire and he was alone as his wing man had to return to Corsica with engine trouble. It is a miracle he was not jumped by Luftwaffe fighters near Italy and being alone he would have most certainly been shot down.
This gentlemen lives in Blountstown, a small town located just east of Panama City where my aircraft is based. This is quite a story. "The bravery and actions of Yon and his fellow pilots have been chronicled in the book Spitfires and Yellow Tail Mustangs, the 52nd Fighter Group in World War II, written in 2005 by Tom Ivie and Paul Ludwig. "
Steve
http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20111105/NEWS01/111050317/France-honors-WWII-pilot-from-Blountstown?odyssey=nav|head
http://www.thecountyrecord.net/arch...ell-Yon-to-receive-a-French-Combat-Medal.html
Sorry, that first link does not always work properly, one more detailed account of the action was that he had to drop his external fuel and chase the German aircraft all the way to Italy to shoot it down exposing himself to intense German AA fire and he was alone as his wing man had to return to Corsica with engine trouble. It is a miracle he was not jumped by Luftwaffe fighters near Italy and being alone he would have most certainly been shot down.